It looks like the Chicago White Sox will not be trading ace pitcher Garrett Crochet or star outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
That does not mean the Sox will not be dealing any veteran pieces away to rebuild this horrendous roster.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal has two veteran Sox pitchers drawing interest from contenders.
Couple White Sox notes in @Ken_Rosenthal's latest, including a sensible landing spot for Kopech. https://t.co/qrwElaPCzK
— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) July 27, 2024
If you do not want to read the Athletic because you refuse to subscribe to them after they no longer regularly cover the White Sox, the summary is the Philadelphia Phillies make sense as trade partner for closer Michael Kopech.
Rosenthal wrote that the Phillies are looking for bullpen help. Since Dave Dombrowski dealt Kopech to the White Sox when he ran the Boston Red Sox, he might be interested in a reunion.
Kopech went from being a candidate to being non-tendered to throwing an immaculate inning recently. Changing agents is all it took for Kopech to understand he did not need to try to overpower hitters with his fastball.
Kopech has not given up a run over his past five outings. All he has done is throw his cutter and slider more.
The Phillies have a farm system that has bats and the Sox desperately need to add hitters to their prospect pool.
Rosenthal also has the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals interested in trading for Erick Fedde.
Fedde is scheduled to pitch against the Seattle Mariners, so there is the risk of injury. Fedde might be the best pitcher on the trade market now that Crochet is unlikely to be dealt.
Unless the Detroit Tigers decide to trade Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal, Fedde has the highest fWAR among starting pitchers available in the trade market.
He is making $7.5 million this season and next. That is what makes him attractive to a small market contender such as the Brewers whose rotation has been beat up.
Rosenthal confirmed the Brewers are checking in on his availability along with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers would be the more desirable trade partner between the two NL Central contenders with the hitting depth the Crew has in its farm system.